ABBEY JOHN GIBSON, Private, No. 266956, 6th (Territorial) Battn. The Black Watch (Royal Highlanders), s. of the late Andrew Abbey, by his wife, Margaret Fraser (17, Richmond Terrace, Edinburgh); b. Perth, 28 Aug. 1885; educ. there; joined the Black Watch 30 May, 1916; served with the Expeditionary Force in France and Flanders with the 51st Division: was taken prisoner 21 March, 1918, and died at No. 3 Canadian General Hospital 28 Dec. following, on his way home after his release from Germany. Buried in Terlinethum British Military Cemetery. Hem.at Hawick, 1 Aug. 1913, E. 1. (5, Allan Bank, Hawick), daughter of the late Richard Scott; s.p.

Source : De Ruvigny’s Roll Of Honour Vol 5

WALKER, THOMAS, Private, No. 2395, 1/7th Battn. The Black Watch (T.F.), 8. of Alexander Middleton Walker, of Middleton Place, Crossgates, co. Fife, Miner, by his wife, Margaret, dau, of the late Thomas Young, of Leven; b. Fordell, Dalgetty, co. Fife, 13 Feb. 1884; educ. Crossgates Public School; served as a grocer in Dunfermline Co-operative Society for nearly five years, then enlisted in the Royal Scots, 2 Jan. 1902; obtained his discharge by purchase, 11 July following, and was employed in the mines; re-enlisted in the Black Watch after the outbreak of war, 15 Sept. 1914; went to France, 1 May, 1915, and was killed in action at Festubert, 16 June, 1915; unm. Buried there. His Captain wrote: “We were being subjected to a terrible bombardment during an attack on the Germans, and Tom along with L.-Corpl. Somerville were sitting in a dug-out sheltering from the fire, when a high explosive shell hit it, smashing in the roof. Both were killed immediately, and without suffering any pain. All the men exhibited great courage during the day and none more than your son, who was always a worker, doing his share and always willing to help others.”

Source : De Ruvigny’s Roll Of Honour Vo

Urquhart E F M Captain Black Watch

Source : The Sphere 19th Dec 1914

URQUHART, EDWARD FREDERICK MALTBY, Capt., 1st Battn. The Black Watch (Royal Highlanders), only s. of the Rev Edward William Urquhart,of 82, Elm Park Gardens, London, S.W., M.A., formerly Vicar of King’s Sutton,co Northampton, by his wife, Caroline Mary, dau. of William Harris, of Plumley, Bovey Tracey, Devonshire; b. Edinburgh, 26 Jan. 1877; educ. West Bournemouth and Cheltenham College; gazetted 2nd Lieut. Royal Highlanders, 20 Feb.1897, and promoted Lieut. 24 May, 1899, and Capt. 17 April, 1902; served in the South African War, 1901-2; took part in the operations in the Transvaal, Dec. 1901, and in those in the Orange River Colony, Dec 1901, to 31 May, 1902(Queen’s medal with four clasps), was assistant superintendent of gymnasia in the Irish command, 9 Nov. 1906 to 19 Feb. 1907, and superintendent of the same,20 Feb. 1907 to 9 Nov. 1910, and later Inspector of Physical Training, Northern Army, India, from March, 1913, to date of his death; went to France, 22 Sept.1914 and was killed in action at Pilken, 23 Oct. following, during the fighting in the Ypres salient; unm. Buried in Boesinghe Churchyard.

Source : De Ruvigny’s Roll Of Honour Vol 1

STRACHAN, HUGH, Private, No. 3472, 1st Battn. The Black Watch (Royal Highlanders), 5th s. of the late James Strachan, Ploughman, by his wife, Jean, dau. of John Ross; b. Johnshaven, near Montrose, 16 Jan. 1870; educ. Montrose Public School; enlisted in the Black Watch, and served under Gen. Wauchope, and was invalided home with malarial fever and discharged just before the South African War; became a Signalman on the North British Railway: re-enlisted in his old regt. after the outbreak of war, 2 Sept. 1914; left for the Front with the 1st Battn. in Nov. 1914, and was killed in action at La Bassée, 25 Jan. 1915. Private Strachan was a first-class shot. He m. at Edinburgh, 13 Oct. 1899, Isabella (3, South Gayfield Lane, Edinburgh), dau. of the late Donald Robertson, and had two children: Hugh, b. 16 July, 1900; and Eleanor, b. 16 Oct. 1902.

Source : De Ruvigny’s Roll Of Honour Vol 1

Cumming L B Lt 1st Black Watch

LIEUTENANT L. R. CUMMING

1st BATTALION THE BLACK WATCH (ROYAL HIGHLANDERS)

LEWIS ROBERTSON CUMMING was the eldest son of John Fleetwood Cumming, J.P., of Aberlour, Strathspey, by his marriage with Beatrice Gordon Bryson Kynoch.

He came to the School in 1906, and left in 1910. He entered the R.M.C., Sandhurst, in 1911, and was gazetted to his Regiment in 1912, and promoted Lieutenant in May, 1914.

He went to the Front with the First Expeditionary Force in August, 1914, and fought in the Retreat from Mons and the Battles of the Marne and the Aisne. He was Scout Officer of the Regiment, and at the Battle of the Aisne his duties were with the Colonel at Headquarters. Things were not going too well, and many casualties caused the Colonel to go forward. Lieutenant Cumming collected a few men and went with a supply of ammunition to the firing line. He succeeded in getting this distributed, but was killed immediately afterwards, on September 14th, 1914. Age 22.

His Major wrote:-“We have lost a very promising and gallant comrade, who had done splendid service to the Regiment in the very trying time we have had since Mons.”

Source : Memorials Of Rugbeians Who Fell In The Great War Vol 1